In 2024, our planet is witnessing record-breaking temperatures and increasingly erratic weather patterns.

Climate change is reshaping ecosystems, threatening around one million species with extinction, including whales—the largest inhabitants of our oceans.

These majestic creatures play a vital role in maintaining marine ecosystems and even mitigating climate change, but they face growing threats from rising temperatures, melting ice, and shifting ocean chemistry.

How Climate Change Impacts Whales

1. Changing Food Availability

Whales rely on stable food sources like zooplankton and fish, both of which are impacted by warming ocean temperatures. Zooplankton, a primary food source for species like the North Atlantic right whale, depends on phytoplankton, which thrives in cooler waters.

2. Becoming Trapped in Ice

The rapid melting of polar ice disrupts migration routes for species like belugas. Floating ice creates unpredictable barriers, potentially trapping whales and restricting their access to prey. In extreme cases, this leads to suffocation as whales struggle to reach the surface to breathe.

3. Heightened Pollution Effects

Rising ocean temperatures exacerbate the concentration of pollutants like plastics and chemicals. These contaminants accumulate in whales’ bodies, weakening their immune systems and impairing reproduction.

4. Ocean Chemistry Changes

Melting sea ice freshens seawater, disrupting habitats for whales and their prey. Additionally, increased carbon dioxide levels cause ocean acidification, altering sound absorption in water.

How Whales Help Combat Climate Change

Phytoplankton Support: Whales stir up nutrients during deep dives, promoting phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton absorbs carbon dioxide and produces 50% of the world’s oxygen.

Carbon Sequestration: When whales die, their massive bodies sink to the ocean floor, storing carbon for decades and reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels.

How IFAW Protects Whales

Mitigating Entanglement and Vessel Strikes: Collaborating with policymakers and fishermen to implement whale-safe fishing gear and shifting shipping lanes to reduce collisions.

Reducing Ocean Noise: Advocating for lower ship speeds and noise-reducing technologies to create quieter, safer habitats.

Protecting Habitats: Campaigning against industrial developments in critical whale habitats, such as Laguna San Ignacio in Mexico and Sakhalin Island.

Whales are not just victims of climate change—they are critical to its solution. Protecting these gentle giants ensures healthier oceans and a more stable climate. By supporting conservation efforts like those led by IFAW, we can help secure a future where whales thrive alongside the planet they help sustain.